So, I passed my DAS on June 1st. Wanted a Street Bob, but a Fat Bob came up at a good price and the insurance was exactly the same, so I went for it on Saturday.

Travelled 3 hours on the train to see it - a Private Ebay listing, buyer had lots of good feedback, knew what he was talking about and the pictures looked good. I was confident.

I arrived, the bike was in perfect condition, with a few extras, V&H Short Shots, Fuelpak 3, black rims, some paintwork detailing, it looked great. Had a little ride and was sold immediately, paid him the money and was off!

The bike had been serviced recently at HD Leeds, but the owner didn't have the book with him, so, after a quick call, HD said I could call in with the book and they'd stamp it. So, I started my first ever bike journey - a modest 184 miles...in the rain...

Turns out, the gear I bought was not up to the task. Rain hurts at 30mph, never mind 70, especially wearing an open face helmet. Sure I looked cool (!) but anything over 55 felt like the helmet was going to pull my head off! First lesson learned. Also, waterproof trousers only work if they COVER THE TOP OF YOUR BOOTS, BEN! Soaking feet and the bottom 1/4 of my legs.

Finally, not all waterproof jackets are created equal. Turns out the HD Coated Denim jacket I bought is for very light showers, while at walking speed! Need to invest in some proper wet/cold weather gear...

So, after buying a full face helmet, showing it off to my mates and mother, then another 200 mile journey from Liverpool to London, I'm totally shattered. My thoughts so far, love riding, hate the rain.

Some pictures:




The Bike's called Beeker, for obvious reasons!




Just need to powdercoat the fender struts and rear shock covers black....




Yeah, I look like a bit of a thug...going to accent my look with some pastels to break it up a bit

 

Very nice! Ride safe.

 

Good choice of bike!
Not a big fan of rain myself.

 

Ride safe; nice bike.

 

Welcome aboard!

Yeah, when riding in the rain, if you don't have a full coverage helmet, the threshold of pain is about 30 mph. BTDT.

Consider a modular. All the protection of a full face, but with the huge convenience of being able to flip up the face shield when talking to somebody, or getting gas, or just when you want to get some fresh air if you're stuck in traffic.

Nice bike!

 

Congrats on your first Harley - my first Harley was also a Fat Bob - traded it for a Street Glide, A full fairing and saddle bags are nice options to protect one fro the elements - ride safe & enjoy...

 

Nice Bike! As other have said having a face shield will make rain in the face a non-issue. I vote for modular also for the stated reasons. A good rain suit with waterproof gloves and boots will complete the deal. As for the bike, a good windshield will also keep the rain from pellting you. You will also like the windshield on sunny but cold days.

I learned all of the above the hard way.

As the saying goes, "Live and Learn".

Ride safe and Good Luck! It is a GREAT bike!

 

Love the nickname!

 

Nice bike (looks a lot like mine) - welcome!

As you are in the UK, you might want to buy a pair of British army issue gore-tex over trousers for rain! They are cheap, fully waterproof and cover the tops of your boots!

I did 350 miles in pi$$ing rain in a pair a couple of weeks ago and stayed completely dry - so I can vouch for them

 

Congrats on your Fat Bob, it was my first Harley as well.

They seem to be very popular in Europe, is there a Fat Bob owner's group in the UK?